A Dinner of Sashimi
by Patch
Summary: Slightly humorous. As a new wife, Usagi wants to make Mamoru happy even if it means learning how to cook... easier said than done!


A Dinner of Sashimi  
Author: Patch  
E-mail: patchkhan1@hotmail.com  
kittiekat90@hotmail.com  
Rated: PG  
  
Hello everyone! This fic is dedicated to Sashimi, a  
cutie kitty and Shana-chan, a great author and proud  
owner of Sashimi. A BIG thank you to Ely and Laz  
(2 *great* authors) for pre-reading this. Just a note,  
this will, I hope, be my last fic in a pre-Crystal  
Tokyo setting for a while. I think I'm losing my  
touch in this area so it's time to move on ^_^.  
Enjoy reading!  
  
  
Insert Standard Disclaimer.  
  
  
"Mamo-chan."  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Will you help me?"  
  
"Anything for you, Usa."  
  
"Will you teach me how to cook?"  
  
The sound of a plate crashing to the floor  
filled the air of the tiny kitchen. Usagi, who was at  
the sink, up to her elbows in soapy water, turned to  
her husband, a slight frown on her face.  
  
"That... was an expensive plate."  
  
"Gomen Usako," Mamoru bent down to  
pick up the pieces as his mind began to race. Usako,  
cook? Kami, that was not what he thought she was  
going to ask. And he wasn't exactly sure how he was  
going to answer her.  
  
They had been married for about a  
month and a half now and not once had Usagi asked  
this question. In the first weeks of their marriage  
they had rarely eaten home, being invited to almost  
everyone's house or Mamoru taking Usagi out to all  
kinds of restaurants. But as they settled into a routine,  
Mamoru would be the one cooking dinner, a role he  
didn't mind at all considering how used to it he was.  
  
Sure Usagi could cook, but it was the  
small things, things that usually came from the box  
like macaroni and cheese or pancakes, never  
something like... real food.  
  
He gulped nervously, standing up  
straight and depositing the broken pieces into the  
garbage. "Why the sudden interest?" he asked  
carefully.  
  
"Oh, it's nothing sudden," she replied  
wiping her hands on a paper towel. "I've always  
wanted to learn but whenever Mama tried to  
teach me I would never pay any attention, my  
mind and thoughts were always somewhere else.  
And now I really want to learn and I think you'd  
be the perfect teacher," she ended, smiling  
brightly at him.  
  
Mamoru smiled back but inside, his  
heart had caught up with his already racing mind.  
He wasn't the perfect teacher! The perfect  
teacher would be the teacher in the Tokyo  
Culinary Arts School, not him, ordinary Mamoru.  
And he said so to his wife.  
  
"But Mamo-chan, you're a great cook!  
The seasoned lamb chops were delicious tonight  
and the prawn sushi from yesterday had me  
wanting so much more. I *do* want to learn  
from the best. Besides," she said, walking up to  
him, "I promise to make sure we won't end up  
having a repeat performance of last time."  
  
Ah yes, last time. Last time was  
actually two weeks ago but he remembered  
the day as though it were yesterday. It was that  
vivid to him. And Usagi hadn't even cooked!  
All she had to do was boil some eggs.  
  
Yes, she had boiled the eggs... and  
then some. He hadn't even known what she  
was doing in the kitchen, and he would have  
known... if he hadn't let her distract him.  
  
He had just woken up and had  
come out of the bedroom and according to  
his dear wife, looked so adorably rumpled  
that she had no choice *but* to kiss the living  
daylights out of him. And that... well that  
led to them being on the couch and thank  
Kami they hadn't gotten too far because all  
of a sudden a strange popping noise came  
from the kitchen.  
  
The two had rushed over to the  
kitchen... just in time to see two eggs  
explode in a small pan. The water had all  
but evaporated and a small flame was  
licking at the bottom of the pan.  
  
Usagi had shrieked and run past  
him and all Mamoru could do was stare as  
his wife ran around the kitchen like a  
chicken with its head... well you know the  
phrase. Finally he had shook himself after  
seeing the flames nearly engulf the whole  
pan -with Usagi still running around-and  
had simply walked over to the stove and  
turned the knob off.  
  
Usagi, with a dishtowel in one  
hand and cooking oil in the other -he  
shuddered to think what she would have  
done with that-had given him a guilty smile  
and said, "Oops."  
  
Coming back to the present,  
Mamoru's gaze traveled over to Usagi and  
he gave her a doubtful look.  
  
"Oh Mamo-chan, onegai, I won't  
disappoint you this time!"  
  
"Usako, you never disappoint  
me... you just scare me."  
  
"Scare you?" She looked at him  
hurtfully. "So you won't help me at all?"  
  
"Iie! It's nothing like that!" He  
shook his hands and head wildly. "It's just  
that... well... I'd love to help you Usagi," he  
finally said. "What would you like to  
make?"  
  
"Oh, I hadn't even thought of  
that!" she bit her lip and her eyes narrowed  
in thought. "There's just so many options..."  
  
And he was going to make sure  
those options would narrow down to ones  
that didn't include using fire, heat, large  
knives, *and* boiling water.  
  
"How about sashimi? We can  
start you off on a simple dish and then get  
more complicated." he suggested cautiously.  
That was something easy to make... and  
safe.  
  
He was more than thankful to see  
her eyes brighten tremendously at the choice.  
"That's a great idea! We haven't had that in a  
while, and it's not too complicated." She  
leaned up on her toes and gave him a sweet,  
yet lingering kiss.  
  
"Thank you Mamo-chan," she said,  
her eyes soft, her voice husky. "This means so  
much to me."  
  
One more kiss like that and he  
would have *willingly* complied to let her  
cook an eight course meal.  
  
But, she walked away and all he  
could do was sigh and watch her go into the  
living room.  
  
Usako, his love, his life, and his  
mini-tornado.  
  
"We have to go to the market  
tomorrow then, because the last I checked,  
we don't have any fish."  
  
"That'll be no problem, Usa."  
Famous last words.  
  
  
The next day, after a quick lunch  
late in the afternoon, they headed out to the  
local fish markets because Usagi had  
insisted that in order to make the perfect  
dish of sashimi, they had to first buy fresh fish.  
A grocery store just wouldn't do, she had said  
shaking her head.  
  
So here they were, out in the open,  
by the docks, the smell of sea-water sharp and  
pungent in their noses.  
  
It was a noisy place, the voices of  
almost every vendor competing to be heard.  
The sound of customers trying to bargain also  
filled the air and Mamoru noticed that Usagi  
took it all in with wide, observant eyes.  
  
"You've never come here before?"  
Mamoru asked, steering her towards a stall  
selling whitefish.  
  
"Huh? Oh, hai, I have been here a  
few times but the last time I came here was  
when I was probably 13. I used to drive  
Mama crazy with my boredom so she stopped  
bringing me and I really didn't mind at all,"  
she finished, laughing.  
  
He chuckled, easily able to  
imagine the picture of his wife, in her younger  
days, driving her mother to madness.  
  
But Usagi had matured from that.  
He was proud to say that she held herself  
with more bearing, hints to what she would  
truly become when she began her reign as  
Queen. Yes, he could be rest assured that she  
wouldn't drive *him* insane with her  
boredom.  
  
"This is *not* fun anymore."  
  
"Nani? What do you mean?" he  
asked. He hoped he hadn't thought too soon.  
  
"Well, how are you supposed to  
know what kind of fish to choose?" she replied,  
gesturing to all the stalls around them. "How  
do you find the *perfect* fish from this place?"  
She began walking forward, not watching  
where she was going, looking around instead.  
  
"We're going to go insane from  
deciding what kind of fish to take home  
and-"  
  
She stopped abruptly when a fish  
went flying past her. She shrieked and jumped  
backwards, bumping into Mamoru who  
thankfully, was able to catch her and balance  
himself at the same time.  
  
They watched as another fish went  
flying past them and Usagi realized that this  
particular stall had three parts to it. The first  
one was where the customer chose his fish.  
The man there would then throw it to the stall  
directly across so that the man there could skin  
it, clean it and then package it. Then, the  
second man would throw the packaged fish to  
his left where a third man would weigh it and  
price it for the customer.  
  
"Sugoi!" Usagi exclaimed as she  
watched one man throw fish to the other.  
  
"You don't remember this?" Mamoru  
asked, happy to see his wife enjoying herself.  
  
"Not at all!"  
  
"Well, why don't you see what the  
guy's got. I think that second man looks  
familiar..."  
  
Usagi did that and the man as the  
helped her, Mamoru got into a conversation  
with the second man whom he found out he  
knew from his college days.  
  
"I need some fresh, healthy  
whitefish," Usagi said, looking over the  
various types of fish laid out.  
  
"You're in luck, we just got a load  
half an hour ago. Healthy, you ask? Most  
definitely, we only sell the best, with bargain  
prices. I think this guy here," the man  
continued picking up a whitefish, "is probably  
the best out of the bunch. See, it's firm and it  
has no filmy cover over its eyes, indicating  
a healthy fish."  
  
"Looks good, I'll take it!" Usagi  
finished, smiling.  
  
"Hai, good choice. I saw you  
eyeing our 'technique' before. Would you like  
to try throwing the fish? Just throw it to Kai  
over there and he'll catch it and then throw it  
to Juro."  
  
"Of course!" she replied excitedly.  
She eagerly took the fish he handed her and  
then turned around yelling the man's name.  
"Kai-san, catch!"  
  
Mamoru turned around at the sound  
of his wife's shout and looked just in time to  
see a fish flying... towards his face.  
  
*Smack!*  
  
"Kami! What a throw Miss, you got  
him right in the middle of-"  
  
Usagi shot him a glare and then ran  
over to Mamoru, who was now holding the fish  
that had fallen into his hands after hitting him  
in the face.  
  
"Mamo-chan, gomen ne! I have such  
a bad aim, I'm so sorry!"  
  
She took the fish from his hands and  
handed it to Kai and then looked into his face.  
  
Mamoru, who was now getting over  
the shock of being hit in the face with a  
whitefish, fully recovered at the sight of Usagi's  
blue eyes looking anxiously into his own.  
Ignoring the snickers and odd looks they were  
getting from other shoppers, he forced himself  
to chuckle lightly.  
  
"I'm alright Usako, I didn't get hurt  
or anything. Just a little dazed, that's all."  
  
He saw Usagi visibly relax and then  
laugh along with him.  
  
"I wish I had a video camera or  
something, that was definitely a moment to  
catch on video."  
  
"Maybe next time," he replied  
nervously. Maybe not, he thought.  
  
They paid for the fish and left the  
market, stopping on the way home for some ice  
cream.  
  
It wasn't too bad of an afternoon,  
they both thought separately. It could only get  
better, ne?  
  
"Alright, so what do we do first?"  
  
"Well, first you've got to put the fish  
on ice and we'll get to it after we make the rice,"  
Mamoru answered, watching Usagi walk  
over to the refrigerator.  
  
"Okay, now, you've got to wash  
the rice first in a pot." He took the pot out from  
a cabinet and then had her hold it as he poured  
the rice in. "See, we only need two cups  
because there's just the two of us and if there  
were more people, then-"  
  
"Mamo-chan, I'm not three, I  
understand what's needed and what's to be done,"  
Usagi scolded lightly.  
  
"Hai, well... it never hurts to explain,"  
Mamoru finished lamely.  
  
Usagi gave him an odd look and then  
went over to the sink. She placed the pot in the  
sink and turned on the tap.  
  
"All you have to do is to swirl the  
pot around so that you clean the rice and... stop!"  
Mamoru suddenly proclaimed.  
  
"What? What is it?" Usagi asked  
bewildered. She had been quite startled at his  
outburst.  
  
"You're not supposed to fill the pot  
so much! The water would slosh all over the  
sides when you swirled the pot," he said  
frantically, reaching over to turn the tap off.  
  
"Oh, so now we have to get rid of  
the excess water, ne?" Usagi asked playfully  
and then scooped some water up and threw it  
onto Mamoru.  
  
She giggled at his expression when  
the cold water hit his shirt.  
  
"That was *not* funny," he said  
after a bit, squeezing the water out. At first he  
had been afraid she would do something  
careless and now he had to worry about her  
having *too* much fun.  
  
"Well, excuse me Mr. Uptight, but I  
thought it was *quite* funny," she replied  
haughtily and then proceeded to wash the rice.  
  
He sighed and rubbed a hand over  
his face. He had to make sure she didn't  
accidentally destroy the kitchen with her 'fun'.  
  
Ten minutes later, they had boiled  
the rice and Usagi had transferred it over to a  
strainer with no problems.  
  
Mamoru could feel himself begin to  
relax... slightly. He mentally patted himself for  
making sure no problems had occurred so far.  
  
"Okay, so now we put the rice back  
into the pot, ne?" Usagi asked, walking over to  
the stove.  
  
"Hai," he said coming to watch her.  
They had left the lid on the pot and Mamoru  
lifted it as Usagi turned the bowl.  
  
Unfortunately, there was still quite a bit of heat  
still trapped in the pot so when he lifted the  
lid the steam came rushing up, surprising Usagi  
into squealing and dropping the rice... and  
strainer... into the pot.  
  
"Usako!"  
  
She jumped back and stared at the  
pot for a second and then burst out laughing to  
the amazement of Mamoru. His heart had  
almost skipped a beat when she had dropped  
the strainer and now she was bent over  
laughing even though he was sure his face had  
lost all color.  
  
"Kami! I can't believe that  
happened," she laughed. "Our day has *got* to  
be something out of a comedy movie!"  
  
Good Lord, he could feel his right  
eye start to twitch.  
  
"Ne, Mamo-chan, don't you think?"  
  
Usagi finally noticed that her  
husband hadn't even cracked a smile.  
"Mamo-chan, what's wrong?" she asked  
uncertainly.  
  
He looked at her and forced on a  
strained smile. "Nothing, Usako, nothing."  
  
"No, there's definitely something  
wrong. What is it?"  
  
"I said nothing," he replied  
defensively.  
  
"Demo... Mamo-chan, then  
why are you sounding so apprehensive?"  
  
"I'm not!"  
  
"You are! Just tell me what it is, maybe I  
can help," she insisted.  
  
"Help? Usako, you scared the life  
out of me just a few minutes ago. The only  
way you can help is to stop trying to cook!"  
he ended in exasperation.  
  
Her face fell and he instantly  
regretted the words. But it was too late, his  
statement hung in the air between them and  
so did the heavy silence. Until she broke it.  
  
"Oh, I see. Is this why you've  
been acting so stiff around me? I noticed  
you watching me like a hawk but I ignored  
it thinking you'd realize I was trying my  
best. I guess you didn't see that, ne?" she  
finished with a voice hoarse with tears.  
  
She strode from the kitchen or  
at least tried to when Mamoru caught her  
arm before she could leave.  
  
"Gomen ne, Usako. I didn't mean  
what I said," he apologized.  
  
"But you did!" she cried, turning  
to face him. "I know you meant every word  
because it's true isn't it? You thought I would  
probably klutz out and burn the kitchen  
down... without even trying, isn't that it? I'm  
sorry I don't live up to your... your  
expectations but I just wanted to be more  
helpful!"  
  
Her words and the wistful tone  
behind them caused his heart to turn over. He  
knew he had hurt her through his actions and  
the shame washed through him as he  
realized how selfish he had acted.  
  
"I'm sorry Usa. I admit, I was  
quite unsure of how this would turn out and  
I know that must say a lot about me, but  
believe me, I never wanted to hurt your  
feelings."  
  
"You did," she sniffed. "I only  
wanted to learn how to cook because I  
thought we could take turns in cooking and  
stuff, and I thought maybe once in a while I  
could surprise you with your favorite dish  
and really make you happy..." she trailed  
off.  
  
"Oh Usako," he groaned,  
bringing her into the circle of his arms,  
"you always make me happy but I  
understand what you're trying to say and I  
hate myself now for being such a  
spoilsport. I'm sorry, Usako."  
  
Usagi smiled and looked up into  
his face. "You don't have to be so serious  
about cooking Mamo-chan, that's all.  
Loosen up a bit... or do you not trust me  
enough to do so?" she asked, moving back  
slightly.  
  
He pulled her closer and gave  
her a hard kiss before answering. "I trust  
you with all that I am, never forget that."  
He smiled ruefully and he kissed her nose.  
"But I can loosen up and I will, just for  
you."  
  
"Good. Now, what do we do  
next?"  
  
They both looked at the rice  
strainer that was still sticking out of the  
pot.  
  
"Okay, I'll take care of the  
rice and you wash the fish," Mamoru said,  
pushing Usagi slightly towards the fridge.  
  
"Sou," she replied and pulled  
out the fish.  
  
Mamoru pulled out the strainer  
and cleaned out any rice that was still  
sticking to it and then turned to walk to the  
sink. He grinned and was charmed to see  
how she carefully unwrapped the fish from  
its package and began running it under the  
running water. She really is trying her  
hardest, he thought walking up to stand  
behind her. But cooking wasn't supposed  
to be all work and no play, as he had just  
recently realized and he was going to  
emphasize that fact.  
  
He heard her stifle a giggle as  
his arms came around her waist and he  
leaned his chin on her shoulder.  
  
"Are you going to help me wash  
this guy?" she asked solemnly.  
  
"Of course, I wouldn't leave my  
wife defenseless with such a creature."  
  
"Defenseless?" she gasped in  
mock indignation. "What are you trying to  
say to the Senshi of Love and Justice?"  
  
"Just that..." he gave her  
stomach a soft squeeze and then stretched  
his hands and cupped them to catch some  
of the running water, "I'll help you as best  
as I can!" he threw his hands upwards,  
towards her face, wetting her face  
completely.  
  
"Mamo-chan!"  
  
The fish landed with a splat in  
the sink as she turned to him with an  
outraged look.  
  
"What kind of help is that?!"  
  
"All work and no play make  
Usagi a dull little wife," Mamoru replied,  
shaking his finger at her.  
  
"I'll show you all work and no  
play," she huffed, walking towards him  
threateningly.  
  
"Uh, Usako, the water is still  
running and the fish is still lying there...  
you haven't forgotten them have you?"  
  
She stopped and her expression  
cleared suddenly. "I forgot!" She whirled  
around and ran back to the sink. "See what  
you made me do!" she called over  
shoulder and then finished up her work.  
  
Mamoru grinned and then  
together they cut up the fish into the  
appropriate portions. And then he taught  
Usagi how to make wasabi sauce,  
something they could use to spice up the  
meal a bit.  
  
They took the plates of food to  
the low table in the living room and sat  
down next to each other.  
  
"You know, this really is a  
simple and easy dish that I just  
complicated," Usagi said, as they settled  
down.  
  
"You didn't complicate  
anything Usako, you just made it more  
interesting."  
  
She smiled at that and then  
picked up the chopsticks they had  
brought with them.  
  
"So how's about I feed you  
the first honorary bite?" she asked, picked  
up a piece of fish and dipping it in the  
wasabi sauce.  
  
"I'm all for it," he replied,  
bending his head. She placed the food in  
his mouth and watched his reaction.  
  
"Mm... it tastes good," Mamoru  
said, chewing thoughtfully. "It tastes pretty  
goo-" He suddenly began choking as his  
face turned red. "Kami, I need water!"  
  
Usagi blanched and hopped  
up in alarm and raced to the kitchen. In  
her rush, she turned the tap water on full  
blast, drenching her shirt in the process  
of filling the glass.  
  
"Kuso!" she wailed and then  
ran back to the living room.  
  
By the time she came back, tears  
had formed at the corners of Mamoru's eyes  
and he was gasping for breath.  
  
"Mamo-chan! Are you okay?!  
What's wrong?!" she asked frantically,  
falling down on her knees beside him. Tears  
had started to form at the corners of *her*  
eyes because she was so worried.  
  
In response, he grabbed the glass  
and chugged its contents down, only  
stopping when he had swallowed every  
last drop. Sighing, he leaned his head back  
against the sofa, and wiped a few of the  
tears that had trailed down his face.  
  
"Mamo-chan? Love? What  
happened? What did I do wrong?" she asked.  
God, she thought fearfully, I've probably  
poisoned something somehow and now  
Mamoru's been afflicted.  
  
But he suddenly grinned and then  
grabbed her waist and hauled her atop of him.  
  
"Mamo-chan?" she squeaked in  
surprise.  
  
He pulled her towards him, and  
threading his fingers into her hair, pulled  
her lips to his. She responded in kind to his...  
ardor until she realized something was  
completely wrong with such a reaction and  
pulled away.  
  
"M-Mamo-chan... daijabou?" she  
asked breathlessly.  
  
"I did it, Usako," he said, smiling  
widely.  
  
"Nani? Did what?"  
  
"I was the one who did something  
wrong, not you. I put in too much wasabi  
powder accidentally and just paid the price  
for my clumsiness."  
  
"Nani?" she asked, still not  
understanding.  
  
He chuckled and then hugged her  
tightly. "Usako, you assumed it was you who  
had done something that caused me to have a  
gasping fit when it was *me* who was the  
cause. I messed up, not you. You, my love,  
should never assume it is you who are the  
cause to any mishap. That is *your* lesson  
for today."  
  
She leaned back and looked at him  
with dawning realization. Then punched him  
in the arm. "Baka! And here I thought I had  
killed you! You had me so scared!"  
  
He laughed at that and grabbed  
her arm when she tried to hit him again.  
  
"Usako, wasabi sauce cannot kill  
you, but too much of it can cause a brain  
meltdown."  
  
"I know that! But with the way  
you were going on..."  
  
"Gomen ne, love. I never meant  
to scare you," Mamoru said softly.  
  
"Forgiven. But now I get to tell  
everyone that my perfect husband messed  
up!" she said matter-of-factly. Her hands  
went down to smooth her shirt and it was  
then that she realized that it was wet. "But  
first, I've got to change," she said, trying to  
get up.  
  
"No," Mamoru replied, his  
hands stilling her, "you can change right  
here," he said grinning mischievously.  
  
"Mamo-chan!" his wife  
exclaimed, completely scandalized, her  
eyes wide. "You can't be serious!"  
  
"Oh, but I am," he replied and  
before she could get in another word, his  
lips had claimed hers and in one fluid  
motion, he had Usagi on the floor.  
  
"The sashimi..." she protested,  
laughing, but he interrupted her.  
  
"Can wait."  
  
  
~*~*The End*~*~  
Ech, my hands are dry.... oh, hello! Hehe,  
and how are you all today? Doing good I  
hope. ^_^ Please do write me and tell me  
what you think. My Mamo-chan clone  
(courtesy of Lazuli, gracias chica!) and I  
will be waiting, LoL. *Hugs clone and  
squeezes life out of him* Oops -_-0  
Patch:-)(-:  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
